Jane Garvey's Excellent Day

Meet The Administrator Session Lacks Punch...

The
FAA's Jane Garvey made her annual trek to Oshkosh Sunday, mixing and
mingling with the people she and her agency regulate. While on the EAA
AirVenture 2000 site, she met with aviation's alphabet-soup-in-absentia
 including representatives from AOPA, NASAO and of course, EAA 
announced a new safety videotape and clicked a mouse button at the Arnav
Systems booth to commission a new ground-based transmitter for the FAA's
Flight Information Service Data Link (FISDL). Her whirlwind tour of EAA
AirVenture 2000 also included the hour-long "Meet The
Administrator" session in the FAA building just off the main ramp.

Garvey's departure from AirVenture  aboard
the agency's flagship Gulfstream III, N1  was just as delayed and
frustrating as its arrival. Arriving Sunday morning, N1 was forced to go
around, presumably for traffic, before it could land and taxi to the
ramp. Later, disproving the notion that rank has its privileges but
reinforcing the belief that OSH controllers don't play favorites, N1 was
forced to join the conga line for departures.

...Or Controversy

Despite
the need to deal with the OSH arrival and departure traffic, Garvey had
a good day. She got through her schedule with few-to-no hiccups,
including her trademark "Meet The Administrator" session, as
smooth and professional as we have come to expect. Fortunately for
Garvey but unfortunately for many of those who assembled to be
entertained, no surprises or controversy emerged from the annual event.
Sure, the perennial issues-without-answers were raised: whether the FAA
should change the Age 60 Rule; the status of various cases of
over-zealous enforcement; and the like. Perhaps the only real surprise
was that the number and content of shameless, self-congratulatory
statements masquerading as questions from people representing various
organizations has risen to the point of making the entire event much
less valuable than the give-and-take session originally envisioned and
that used to be.

The lack of controversy is probably due in no small
measure to  choose one  the failure or success of EAA's efforts to
insulate her from the most controversial episodes and people. Indeed,
when EAA Friday evening escorted off the site Garvey's primary annual
antagonist, Keith Peshak, it also ejected one of the attendees' last,
best hopes for real entertainment at the event. As
AVweb reported yesterday, Peshak was asked to leave the
AirVenture grounds Friday after his technical forums included some
profanity-laced presentations earlier in the show.

In the end, the hour-long session resulted in a series
of slow, underhand pitches ably batted away by one of the best clean-up
hitters to take the FAA's helm in recent memory. The final score wasn't
even close.

Now, Congress Is Asking Why…

Every
year at Meet the Administrator, someone stands up to decry the rule
under which U.S. airlines must forcefully retire pilots when they reach
age 60. Every year atAirVenture, FAA Adminstrator Garvey reiterates the
FAA's support for the Age 60 rule and restates results of a 1993 study
that the agency says indicates flying skills fall off after age 60.
However, Sunday when a pilot stood up to make his argument against age
60, Garvey talked about a move afoot in Congress to study the rule, and
asked AirVenture-visitor, Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) to respond.
"I'm 65 years old," Inhofe told the crowd, "so I've got a
dog in this fight."

In
addition to being 65, Inhofe is also an experienced GA pilot. Last year,
a prop fell off his Grumman Tiger in flight. Inhofe determined the
normal stall speed on the Tiger sans prop had jumped from 45 to 120
knots. Inhofe credits his age and experience for allowing him to assess
the situation, keep his head, and land the Tiger safely. "My son is
a great pilot," he told the Meet the Administrator crowd. "But
I honestly believe that if this had happened to him, he might not be
here today."

Inhofe later told AVweb that he is working to get an Age-65
rule through the Senate, "when the votes are there." "My
preference," he told AVweb, "is no age limit, but
rigorous stress testing to make sure the pilots are healthy. There's no
reason people above age 60 shouldn't be flying. Some people shouldn't be
flying at age 40."

…As "Retired" Pilot Says
"I Think We're Beating Them Down"

Bert
Yetman of Grapevine, Texas, agrees. Yetman is the one who brought up the
Age 60 rule at the Meet the Administrator session. He says he was
"forcefully unemployed" from Southwest Airlines in June of
1992, when he turned 60. Yetman is now president of a group called the
Professional Pilots Association, made up of pilots who are against the
Age 60 rule. "I think we're beating them (the FAA) down,"
Yetman tells AVweb. " The real world has changed. They can't
ignore that. Fourty-four countries are age-65. Canada, Mexico and
Australia have no age limit. Foreign airline pilots over age 60 can fly
into the United States. That's the annoying thing."

"The current pilot shortage is helping (our cause)," says
Yetman, "but I think the harmonization of rules worldwide will help
more." Yetman intends to speed the process along as much as
possible by filing a request with the Seventh Circuit Court in Chicago
within 30-60 days. That filing will seek to force the FAA to accept a
request for sixty-two Age 60 exemptions. Sixty-two pilots age 54 to 68
want to be allowed to keep their airline jobs beyond age 60. "I've
always been optimistic, but now I'm really feeling good." Between
action by the courts and scrutiny by Congress, 60 could become just
another birthday.

...And Now A Short Rest

A
face absent at the Meet the Administrator session Sunday was B & C
Specialty Products owner and president Bill Bainbridge. Bainbridge was
featured in a series of AVweb articles in 1998 and 1999. A bit of
background: in 1997, he was slapped with a $2,000 civil penalty for
selling a non-type certified alternator and regulator to the owner of a
Piper Super Cub.

Bainbridge sells his alternators and regulators to the likes of Burt
Rutan and many of the nation's top airshow performers. Some of the
products, like his 60-watt alternator, have STCs allowing them to be
installed on certificated aircraft. His 40-watt alternator, the reason
for his FAA fine, is not. Even so, by his reckoning, more than 100
owners have been granted field approvals for the installation of
non-certified B&C equipment in their type-certified planes.

Many of the Form 337 approvals came from the Anchorage, Alaska,
Flight Standards District Office. When airplane owner Chris LeMay asked
FAA Inspector Walter Zackowitz for the same field approval for his Piper
Super Cub, Zackowitz refused, telling him he would have to get a
one-time STC, instead. After a six-month fight, a second inspector in
the same FSDO field approved LeMay's new alternator. At some point
during all the back and forth, someone filed a report with the FAA in
Washington accusing Bainbridge of selling "suspected unapproved
parts." Thus began Bainbridge's descent into the darker side of the
FAA.

…Good People, Bad People…

It
was a descent that went unarrested for nearly two years, only finally
coming to an end after EAA President Tom Poberezny and FAA Administrator
Jane Garvey become personally involved. Bainbridge, a soft-spoken and
unassuming man, says he will be eternally grateful to both of them and
to all the good people in the FAA who helped him fight his battle. The
problem, he says, is all the bad people.

Today, AVweb visited with Bainbridge at his booth at
AirVenture. "I considered going to the Meet the Administrator
session today," he told us. "But I decided against it."
He wanted to speak out about an issue that continues to haunt him almost
day and night: accountability. "I am accountable when I do
something. I am held accountable. Who holds the FAA accountable?"
The unspoken continuation to the question is, "Who holds the FAA
accountable for ruining someone's life?"

That was what happened to Bainbridge. The stress of the fight with
the feds caused long-term health problems and destroyed a long-held
love. "I don't love aviation anymore." As Bainbridge talked,
his eyes filled. He paused to wipe the tears. "It's not there (the
love.) It'll never be the same. You'd think that I would be over it, but
I'm not. The FAA spent tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars pursuing me
when I did nothing wrong." The issue of accountability. "I am
accountable for what I do. Why isn't the FAA?"

One Record Falls, One In Question

Bruce
Bohannon, flying the Exxon Flyin' Tiger yesterday morning, was declared
unofficial champ for the 9,000-meter time-to-climb record, with a time
of 19:47... the 6,000-meter record, meanwhile, remained too close to
call. That record is 7 minutes and Bohannon flew it in 7:48. Once the
wild cards of temperature and true altitude are figured in, the
6,000-meter record could belong to Bohannon as well. But whether the
6,000-meter records falls or not, the monkey is off Bohannon's back 
after a long, cold year when two record-breaking attempts failed, he's
back in the winner's circle.

NOTE:
Read all the details of Bohannon's record attempt, and
learn about his future plans, in today's
special feature by AVweb's Liz Swaine.

Federal Air Surgeon Agrees To Speed Up Medical
Process

Includes Phone Call Approval For Issue Of Special
Issuance Medicals

The
Federal Air Surgeon, Jon Jordan, in a dramatic gesture to reduce the
delay in medical certification, has approved a plan which will allow
Aviation Medical Examiners (AME) the ability to issue and reissue
Special Issuance medicals on a case by case basis after phone call
approval from the Oklahoma City Aeromedical Certification Division or
from Regional Flight Surgeons. These certificates would be time-limited
to 120 days pending a formal in-house review by the FAA. Developed in a
meeting called by the EAA's Aeromedical Council’s Chairman Dr. Jack
Hastings and opened by FAA Administrator Jane Garvey, the plan was a
joint effort by the FAA, EAA, AOPA, and other organizations. The FAA was
represented by Dr. Jordan, Dr. Tilton, Assistant Federal Air Surgeon,
Dr. Warren Silberman, Chief of Aeromedical Certification, Gary Crump,
AOPA Medical Section, members of the EAA Aeromedical Council, and
several others.

This major step in reducing the backlog in Oklahoma City will allow
pilots who have relatively simple Special Issuance problems to be
approved on the spot in the AME's office. Initially, the plan will
utilize the EAA's AME Pilot Advocates and then be expanded to other
AMEs. The program is also limited to third class medicals at this time
but would be extended once experience is gained. An example would be a
pilot who underwent a simple angioplasty without having a heart attack
who was applying for his first certification. With the proper letter
from the treating physician, a current cardiovascular evaluation and
satisfactory treadmill test, the AME could perform the medical exam and
consult with the FAA's physician staff for permission over the phone to
issue the time-limited certificate.

Dr.
Jordan developed the plan after a discussion that included outlining the
problems that created the current situation. Those problems include the
fact the Aeromedical Certification Division is hampered by reduced
resources from not being classified as a "safety sensitive"
area like controllers. Safety sensitive areas are protected from cuts
and hiring freezes which the Certification Division has had to deal
with. In addition, the number of applicants who are being considered for
Special Issuance has markedly increased due to liberalization of
certification. Now, pilots are being reviewed and certified that only a
few years ago would have been flatly denied. Also, the new AMCS/DIWS has
created a degree of backlog while being implemented and the old system
switched over. This backlog, which is now about 40,000 files, is taking
the FAA 12-14 weeks to process. Dr. Hastings recommended that the EAA
and other organizations increase the awareness of pilots about
certification problems before they develop. Dr. Guy Baldwin, a Council
member, proposed a log-book reminder of medical certification resources
to be co-produced by the EAA and AOPA for insertion into pilot log
books. The EAA will also be contacting education organizations like the
King Schools to ask for curriculum additions to help pilots understand
certification issues.

More Better From Germany: 170mph On
100hp...

W.D.
Flugzeugleichtbau, GMBH, is producing a retractable, two-place,
all-composite aircraft that: cruises at more than 170 mph behind a
variable-pitch prop, carries 23 gallons, burns five of those an hour on
a Rotax 912S four stroke  and you don't have to build it. The
Fascination D4 began life as a kit, flying on an 80hp Rotax and was sold
in that form in Germany by the afore-mentioned company (don't worry, we
won't make you read it twice.) Designed by ex-German aerobatic team
member Wolfgang Dellach, the German-certified ultralight (the category
covers 0-1200-pound aircraft in Germany) is not billed as aerobatic, but
the spar has been tested to failure  which came after a substantial 10
Gs of persuasion. Clearly, the structure exists for a slightly enhanced
attitude adjustment  the company is setting limits at plus or minus 6
Gs.

...And Fast Enough To Get Here (By
December)

An
American distributor exists in the form of Harper Aircraft, Inc., which
has been promised one aircraft per month after JAR certification,
expected by this December. With that certification, the Fascination D4
will be viewed similarly as American-bought Extras  meaning that, upon
arrival, they'll be inspected by a Designated Airworthiness
Representative (DAR) who will issue a normal category certificate. Cost
is set at $98,500, but you'll have to pay more if you like talking to
anyone when you fly  radios aren't part of the basic package. What you
do get in the package is electric/hydraulic, retractable gear, a very
large baggage compartment, which should easily contain just about any
amenities that weigh-in under 100 pounds, and a BRS emergency parachute
system for any egregious unpleasantries. Flight control is via a
center-mounted stick which actuates pushrods for no-slop ailerons and
elevator, while the rudder is controlled with cables running to the
rudder. The cabin is no-frills, but like most of the new airplanes,
makes a lot of sense and is quite comfortable for tall (or wide) pilots.
The design benefits from some keep-it-simple technology that have kept
weight down and practicality up. This may be one to watch, but here's
the catch: even if all goes well, at a current production rate of two
per month, with 60 already sold and three delivered, it might be a while
before you get yours. For more information you can go to the Fascination
web site.

The Big Fish In The Pond...

With
the 100 hp production prototype flying (and here at AirVenture), the
king of super-practical, super-quickbuild, super-affordable kitbuilts is
making a super-seductive play for the certified crowd in the form of the
RANS S-7C  offered at $55,000. RANS has been producing kits for more
than 15 years and selling them at prices from about $9,000 to $20,000.
There may be well more than 2,000 flying examples of the aluminum tube,
fabric-covered, one- and two-seat aircraft flying  most of them,
cruising at better than 100mph. While AVweb talked to president
Randy Schlitter, two happy customers approached who'd purchased his
aircraft at last year's Airventure '99. Not only had they both accepted
deliveries within four months of the show, to date they'd amassed 125
hours of flying time between them. True, that's the result of a
very tight work schedule and a fair amount of skilled help, but that
doesn't change the fact that one of those projects was complete by early
January. Let's do the math: a four-month wait for the kit and a three
month build time. Can do?

Schlitter's products are a rare find in a kit industry that seems to
be driven by a surging economy to the high-end (and high cost) products.
And while many aviation magazines splash their covers with shiny new
toys that most people can't afford, RANS quietly thrives in a niche
market that caters to practical people who want to build fast, fly soon
and keep flying  often  without burning any new holes in their
pockets. RANS has made flying possible for a whole segment of
individuals shut out by the big manufacturers, and they're
understandably a loyal bunch. RANS has sold aircraft to more than 2,000
people from 45 countries, a record just about any kit manufacturer would
be jealous of.

...Heads For Bigger Waters

Here
at the big show, RANS literature states: "the Type Certificate will
be obtained by August 2000" for the S-7C  that's step one. Step
two, the Production Certification should be awarded "in the first
quarter of 2001. The aircraft will be certified in the primary category.
IF all that holds true, then Schlitter and his crew may be pumping out
aircraft at a rate of one per month as early as February 2001. The S-7C
is the company's Cub-beater, and offers a two-seat tandem configuration
and some of the best visibility in the light, high-wing market, with a
low cowl, huge side windows and greenhouse skylight. It weighs 700
pounds empty, carries 500 pounds at 105 mph and has a range of more than
300 miles behind the Rotax 912S, which has proven reliable and
relatively low fuss in many light aircraft applications. Randy added
that the S-7C was designed with a good balance of wing area (vs.
weight), so "unlike a Champ, it's not a handful in high
winds." New buyers of the S-7C will benefit by purchasing from a
company that's already been making aircraft parts for about 18 years.
And those who choose to build from kits may be seeing some benefits too
 conforming to certification standards for production should only make
quality control standards at the factory even better. For those with
more time than money, the S-7 will still be available as a kit. For
those with more money  or no inclination to build  a certified S-7C
will be hard to beat when it comes to bang-for-the-buck. For more
information visit the RANS web site.

In A Plane That Bears His Name…

In
a world of kit planes, each making more outrageous performance claims
and promising faster build times than the rest, one airplane stands out:
the Pitts Model 12. Jim and Kevin Kimball of Zellwood, Fla., have been
selling Model 12 plans and kits since 1997. An impressive 45 of the
aerobatic biplanes are either under construction or have been completed
… another 155 people have purchased plans. The Model 12 was designed
by master builder Curtis Pitts of Pitts Special fame, but there are some
big differences between the Pitts Special and the Model 12. The Pitts
Special line ran on standard piston engines. The big Model 12 was
designed around a growly, round Russian radial, the 360-hp Vedeneyev
M-14P.

"A lot of the questions we get are about the M-14P,"
company Vice President Kevin Kimball tells AVweb. "We try to
convince people of the engines' reliability. We designed the plane
around the engine. Using anything else would be a compromise." In
spite of the fact that the Model 12 was designed for the M-14P, Pitts
designed the airframe for more. "Curtis told us if you give some
people an anvil, they'll learn how to break it. He knew someone would
try to hang a 985-hp engine on it, so he made it strong enough. There's
a lot of strength built-in we don't even advertise." In the next
breath, Kimball confirms that someone is indeed converting the 2-seat
Model 12 to a one-seater and hanging a 985-hp on it. Anvil, anyone?

…The Model 12: It's All In The Family

Dad
Jim, the 'Jim' in Jim Kimball, Inc., is the company's President, and the
one who fostered Kevin's love of all things flying. Their business
actually started as a hobby, but after father and son rebuilt a Stearman
and then a Staggerwing, planes-for-pay followed. Over the past twenty
years, they have done dozens of restorations and replicas, including
Baron Hilton's Staggerwing, a museum-quality Weddell-Williams; and, a
Gee Bee, which was ultimately purchased by Kermit Weeks. Kimball, Inc.,
is about as good as it gets when it comes to older planes. In fact, the
restoration portion of their business is backlogged over two years.

They
are working long hours to prevent a backlog with the Model 12.
"When we started, we needed to sell twelve kits to break even. If
we sell 50, we will exceed all expectations." As of Sunday at
AirVenture, the kit total was up to 32. They are currently selling
product before they can produce it. "As soon as we get to the point
where we produce a batch that isn't sold, then we'll know we've hit a
plateau."

At that point, Kimball
Inc. will turn to other projects. "We're still having fun,
we're still growing the business. We're adding a convertible top, making
our instruction manuals better, adding digital pictures. We've got a few
different things we're thinking about … one's a biplane, three
aren't." Good people. A popular airplane. The Pitts stamp of
approval.Customers on the list. Some might say this is as good as it
gets. For the Kimballs, though, it could be just the beginning.

For The "Homebuilt" Headset

It
can take years to find a headset that's right for you and when you
finally get one that doesn't feel like it thinks you're head is a tube
of toothpaste, they come out with a new model that makes yours obsolete.
But Headsets, Inc. offers what they think is the answer. They produce an
alternative to the $300-plus Active Noise Reduction (ANR) headset in the
form of an aftermarket system that you can buy as a $169 kit and install
yourself in your existing headset. Also, if electronics make you queasy,
an extra $50 will persuade them to put the system in for you  and also
buy you a three-year warranty. You can have your headset back in about a
week. The system supposedly eliminates about 20db through active noise
canceling (on top of whatever your ears were used to before the upgrade)
 and it sounded that way to us.

Headsets, Inc., will modify any David Clark or Peltor earcup and
their work is completely separate from the mike, which brings some
interesting considerations. First, know that you've been messing around
with your headset's guts, and if the mike fails it's doubtful that the
original manufacturer will shine their graces upon you if you seek to
gain them through the warranty. Second, you now have the option of
purchasing a huge range of noise attenuating ear muff type hearing
protectors (some reduce noise by 29db) and then have Headsets, Inc.
knock off another 20db with their ANR unit, install a mike and send you
on your way. You can purchase several bells and whistles in the form of
optional power systems, including a cigarette lighter adaptor, panel
mount systems, or gel-filled ear seals (for the Peltors) for that extra
special cushy fit.

Whirlwind Weighs In With Sales, Not
Pounds...

A
fairly new entrant into the prop market is Whirlwind Propellers
Corporation, which began shipping composite constant speed props in 1995
 attracting attention from the experimental and aerobatic aircraft
niche markets. Now, there are about 100 Whirlwind props delivered, and
the 200 Series is pulling around the likes of Pitts, carbon fibre
hard-core aerobatic G-200s, One Designs and Lasers. A fair number of
considerably "less aggressive" aircraft including Europas and
Pulsars are also being dragged along behind another model, the
100-series propeller. It is the lightest (9.2 pounds) constant-speed
prop available and it's spinning on Europas and Pulsars at 5000 rpm all
day long. Note: the big ones (74-79" diameter) are lighter than
popular competition, too  they're also less expensive. The 200 series
runs about $7,500. The company expects to expand its product line of two
and three blade props to include two more lines: an improved aerobatic
prop and a sportplanes special designed to weigh-in at 20 pounds for the
Lycoming 0-360. Praise be if those reviews match the ones we've heard
from folks flying the company's current series ... and the current
series proves to have some longevity along with the solid performance
they seem to be putting out. You can get more info at their web
site.

...And QCS Bends Theirs  On Purpose

Hoping to copy the success of Whirlwind, a new and long-awaited
hopeful arrives in the form of QCS Propellers, which is flying its
70" prototype but has yet to deliver any to customers. That's not
all bad though, we talked to Michael Smith, Jr., product manager for the
company, who said they've learned from recent experience (Michael's
building a Glasair) and they insist on taking deposits in escrow only.
What's more, the company says they offer a 30-day moneyback guarantee on
any prop they sell, giving you some time to figure out if your $3,000+
investment was a mistake or not. Hard to lose on that bet. Smith says
the "aerolastic" props are "quasi-constant-speed"
hence the name. Here's the pitch: The properties of the entirely
composite blade structure allow it to change pitch under different
pressures at different airspeed. That means it mimics the benefits of a
constant speed propeller but saves the weight and complexity. The prop
is also supposed to be rather hearing-friendly, putting out about 6 db
less noise than a comparable metal prop, and is expected to go to work
best in the 160 mph environment. There is more information of this
unique prop at their web site.

Question of the Week

Picture of the Week

As aviation photos go, this was the best this week but there are some great beauty shots when you click through. In the meantime, congratulations to Daniel Gillette for this very nice photo he calls Sunset Pitch-Out. The photo is copyrighted by Gillette.